No let up in crimes against women in Assam

Posted on February 27, 2017 0 Comments44

GUWAHATI, Feb 26: Despite having several laws in place to deal with crimes against women, there has been no let up in such incidents in the State.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against women are reported in every two minutes in India. Although incidents of rape have decreased in the country in the last few years, incidents of sexual harassment, assault of women or use of criminal force against them with intent to disrobe, voyeurism and stalking have increased manifold, stated NCRB.

Overall, incidents of crimes against women in Assam are much more than Delhi, which is known as the ‘crime capital’ of the country.

Sources said 13,544 cases of crimes like rape and kidnapping of women were reported in 2012 in Assam, while 17,449 cases of crimes like abduction of women and dowry-related deaths were reported in 2013.

At all-India level, Assam remains in seventh place. The list is headed by Andhra Pradesh, followed by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, said NCRB in its 2013 report.

In Tripura, between 2013 and the previous year, incidents of such crimes had risen to 1,628 from 1,559, while Meghalaya saw a jump from 255 to 343. In Arunachal Pradesh, it was up from 201 to 288, in Sikkim from 68 to 93, and in Nagaland from 51 to 67. Manipur and Mizoram, however, recorded a slide in crimes against women.

Assam heads the list for all recorded crimes against women, including rape, kidnapping and abduction, dowry deaths and cruelty by husband and his relatives.

Sources said such cases registered in police stations in the State are far lower than the actual number of crimes committed. While social stigma prevents women from reporting sexual assault cases, they also keep away from reporting dowry harassment cases. Most such cases do not come out as families maintain secrecy, with sources pointing out that more often than not, it is daunting for women even to establish their own credibility, to be heard or taken seriously when they report a crime.

Source: sentinelassam.com

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